The Wizards Tongue
by Richard Lovelace
Summary: Everyone thinks that Harry Potter is mute, and after all who can blame them, all he can do is hiss.


"English"

"_Foreign language"_

**Sign language**

Writing

_/inner thoughts/_

_I do not own any of these characters or properties._

The Wizard's Tongue

Chapter 1

Harry James Potter knew many things. The thing that he held most dear, though, was that, despite what his Aunt and Uncle might say, he was not, in fact, dumb. Well - he was dumb, but that didn't make him stupid. Apparently the accident that had killed his parents and scarred his forehead had also given him some kind of brain injury. All he could make were hissing noises.

This meant that when he went to school, instead of being in the regular classes that his cousin took, he was with the "special kids"(ELL). What it really boiled down to for Harry was a smaller class where he didn't have to see his cousin. Sure, he was teased for being in different classes, but that was only on the way back to the Dursleys and not in school.

An advantage of being in ELL was that he didn't have the same grade reports as Dudley. His Aunt and Uncle just assumed that whatever he did was at a lower level then their son and Harry wasn't going to say anything to the contrary. He did well in school, A assignments and always willing to learn more. Being the one student in class who sat quietly and did their work well meant that teachers mostly liked him, so it really didn't matter that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon ignored him.

His home life wasn't terrible. Well it could have been worse but, he ate decently, he had a room of his own, and aside from doing most of the cooking and gardening he did not have any chores. It could be said that there were silent agreements between his Aunt, Uncle and him. As long as he made breakfast, dinner, and the garden looked nice then they would not think about him.

His cousin Dudley thought he was boring, which Harry liked because he'd seen what Dudley did to people and things he thought were interesting, his Aunt and Uncle ignored him mostly. He thought it was probably because since he couldn't complain they didn't see a reason to goad.

July 24 1991

Harry went to pick up the mail when it arrived during breakfast, as always.

As he sorted the mail, bills for his Uncle, magazines and post cards for his Aunt, he found a very unusual letter addressed to himself. It was made of parchment and had green ink that read Harry James Potter, the smallest bead room, number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.

As interesting as this was, he knew better than to show it to any of his relatives, so when he re-entered the kitchen and passed out the mail (avoiding his cousin who had received a stick from his new school and had been hitting anything he could with it) the letter was securely in his back pocket.

He ate his breakfast and cleaned everything up as the rest of the house went on with their days, inside the question of what was in the letter burning away inside. After everything was cleaned up Harry went up to his room and opened the letter. Its contents were illuminating.

/

Harry waited on the lawn. It was a Monday so Vernon was at work and Dudley was with his friends. Aunt Petunia had told him to not be back until sunset as she was having some of the neighborhood women over for tea in her garden. This all worked well for Harry as he waited on representative from Hogwarts.

He had written a response to the letter he had received on the preseason Wednesday and going out to the front of the house had found a barn owl sitting on a lamp post. The owl had swiped down and perched on the fence between number 4 and 5 and stuck out its leg that had a bit of string attached.

Harry had tied his response to the owl and it flew off. The next day he received a reply, which stated that a repressive of the school would be coming to pick him up and take him to get school supplies on Monday.

A loud bang came from down the street and a large man on a motorcycle came down the street and got to his feet. "Arry," thaw large man said crouching down and ruffling his hair "bless my sole but you look just like your Da', though you've got er mothers eyes."

Harry's eyes widened at this. Head asked about his parents only once. His aunt had told him that they were just as useless as he was (which to him sounded like they were more active than the Dursley's) and that if he ever wasted paper to ask her silly questions again she'd take his note book away. As most people did not know how to speak sign language he could not risk losing his best form of communication.

Harry pulled out his not book and wrote down his reply. Hello sir. Sorry but I've been mute since my parents deaths. I assume you're from Hogwarts. Did you really know my parents?

He handed the book to the large man who looked at it quizzically before looking at Harry with wide eyes.

"Dumbledore didn't tell me this." The large man dead under his breath(which was still perfectly audible) "I'm Rubeus Hagrid the Hogwarts Groundskeeper. I new James better than Lilly. l can tell ya a few stories on our way to London to get your supplies."

/

September 1 Kings Cross Station

Harry sat in the back compartment of the train reading over the notes in the margins of_ Levitation and Other Spells for the Handicapped Wizard. _He had found the book when he entered his vault at Gringotts and walked around his massive pile of gold.

He had wanted to see how much was there. Instead, he found an even greater prize than gold, Knowledge.

Along the back wall of the vault there was a bookcase with an assortment of books. He found a copy of all his schoolbooks (except for Defense Against the Dark Arts) as well as a few others on healing that were at the bottom of a particularly dented caldron.

There were also trunks full of supplies and school robes. Harry spent a few minutes looking until he had all his supplies except a wand and his DADA book (Hegrid took care of his business for the headmaster while he searched). He had gone through a trunk of old robes until he found some that fit (probably with the help of magic).

When he left the vault he told Hagrid what he had left to get.

Thinking back, it had been weird but there was nothing in that vault with either of his parent's names. Most of his books had either Charlus or Lucius Potter listed as the previous owner. There hadn't been anything obviously showing how they were related to him so he assumed they might have been grandparents or uncles.

He had just started a part about runes that could make peg legs bend like the real deal when his compartment door swung open.

Two giggling girls stepped in talking to themselves and didn't realize Harry was there until the taller one went to put her trunk up on the rack. She jumped in surprise when she noticed him and knocked into her friend, who was putting her own trunk up. They both fell to the floor and Harry got up to help them, Hedwig fluttering out of his lap with a hoot.

"Owwww," the taller girl moaned.

"Get off Su," said the other, pushing her friend over. "Why are you freaked?"

Harry put out his hands and both Su and the other girl took them, standing up. He shoved both of their trunks up onto the rack and sat back down.

"Sorry Lily, I didn't realize there was someone else in the compartment," Su said, then turned to Harry. "Hey you! What do you have to say for yourself, scaring two sweet and innocent girls?"

Harry looked at her and shrugged his shoulders, then pulled out his notebook and flipped it to the first page. On it was written Hi, I'm Harry. I'm mute. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Both girls read the page and Lily slapped Su upside the head.

"Owww, what did you do that for?" said Su, rubbing her head.

"That's for being a ninny." Lily said then turned to face Harry. "Are you really mute? I've never met a mute wizard! Could Saint Mungos not fix whatever it is? Does this mean you'll have to learn to cast silently? Oooh all the possibilities…" she would have probably gone on like that but Su slapped her arm.

"Hey! He's not some puzzle," Su smiled at her friend. "Besides, it's better to introduce ourselves." She turned to Harry.

"I'm Su Li and Miss Question over here is Lily Moon."

Harry smiled and flipped the page. It's a pleasure to meet you.

"So," Lily started. "Back to my questions. How do you plan to learn spells, how did it happen, and why couldn't Saint Mungo's do anything about it?"

"You don't need to answer any of those, by the way. Lily just likes to interrogate people," Su added with an eye role.

Harry just waved his hand in an "it's fine" motion and started writing.

1 I learned from some of the books I was reading over the summer that a lot of people silent cast so that should be fine.

2 Whatever took my voice happened at the end of the last British Wizarding War.

3 As far as I know I've never been to Saint Mungo's.

He handed the paper over and both girls glanced over it.

"You've never been to Saint Mungos? But what about all your shots?" Lily exclaimed.

Harry handed her a note having anticipated the question. The school nurse will give me any that I am missing.

At that moment the food trolley came by.

The conversations halted as the children each got something off the trolley. Harry considered getting one of everything but knew he wouldn't have the room for it all so he just got a chocolate frog, a caldron cake, and a couple of fizzing whizbees. There would be time to try all the sweets of the magical world.

Once they were all seated Harry passed another note before taking a spoon full of hot caldron cake and inwardly sighing with bliss. How do we get sorted? It said to be an old tradition but I couldn't find anything on how it's actually done in _Hogwarts a History._

Lily was sucking on a sugar quill so Su answered. "It's spelled to be only known to those who have been through the sorting ceremony. That's what I've heard, at least, and it makes sense with how proprietary magicals can be sometimes."

Lily popped the quill from her mouth with a plume. "Really, I'm interested to see where we get sorted. My dad was a Ravenclaw but my mom went to Slytherin."

"My family is from China, so I will be the first to go to Hogwarts. I think Ravenclaw is most likely," Su added as Lily snorted beside her. "What about you?"

I don't know what houses my parents were in. I'll get sorted where I need to be. Harry wrote.

Su opened her mouth but at that moment there compartment door swung open and a bushy head poked in.

"Excuse me, have you seen a toad? A boy named Neville has lost his."

All three children shook their heads.

"You know, you could probably ask a prefect to heal whatever's under that band aid," the interloper said, looking at Harry. When Harry just shrugged she sniffed and closed the door.

Su was about to open her mouth a gene when the door opened once more. This time there was a blond foppish looking boy with two larger gorillas like boys behind him.

"Have any of you seen Harry Potter? He should be on the train this year and I want to make introductions before reaching the castle." The blond drawled, seemingly not caring about what he had to say.

Harry shrugged and both the girls shook their heads. The boy sniffed and shut the compartment door.

"Well, that was interesting. I guess it would make sense that Harry Potter would be in our year," Su mused. Lily was staring at Harry, though, and a look started to go across her face. "Harry," Lily said slowly "What's under that band aid?"

Harry sighed; he'd known it wouldn't last long but still. He lifted the edge of the bandaged and pulled, revealing his lightning bolt scar.

"Oh my god, you're Harry Potter!" Su exclaimed loudly.

Harry immediately put his index finger to his lips and made a shushing noise, to which Lily responded by slapping her hand over Su's mouth and asking Harry "Why the secrecy?"

Harry flipped a page and started writing. I don't like the attention. The longer I can stay anonymous the better.

Both girls looked at each other. They were in a compartment with the most famous wizard in Britain.

/

_/Ow my, you are an interesting one Mister Potter./ _A voice whispered inside Harry's head.

_/You have a strong work ethic and a thirst for knowledge. But there's so much potential for bravery. Owe and quite a bit of coning yes. Where to put you though, would you like to share your thoughts on the matter? /_

_/I feel like going to Slytherin would hold to many disadvantages. There seems to be a Dias against them. I don't want to be anyone's hero ether. I feel like people expect me to be just like my parents. But aside from what Hagrid told me to and from London I don't know anything about them. / _Harry thought.

_/Well with reasoning like that better be/ _"RAVENCLAW"

/

The hall was deathly quiet as professor McGonagall plucked the sorting hat of his head.

Then a growing thunder of applause rose from the table in blue and bronze, followed by the Hufflepuffs and Slitherans. The Grifendors were mostly just stunned with only a hand full politely clapping. Two redheaded twins were shouting we'll play bravissimo.

Albus Dumbledore watched on in mild stupefaction. This was not how things were supposed to play out. The boy was supposed to be a Grifendor. He was supposed to be supposed to throw himself selflessly at the enemy of wizard kind not at books.

He was count up thinking about this and only clapped as each student was sorted out of habit. When they were all seemed he simply clapped his hands for the food to appear and started digging in still deep in thought.

"Are you alright Albus?" Minerva asked with sort lines on her face "I've never known you not to introduce the first feast."

"Sorry my dear," Albus replies pulling himself out of his thoughts "I am merely surprised by the sorting. I had expected young Mr. Potter to go to Gryffindor."

"He probably takes more after his mother then, she was one of my favorites. She was almost a Ravenclaw with her drive for knowledge." Fillips chirped in from beside Minerva.

"James was a true prodigy at transfiguration." Minerva added. "If he had turned his mind twirls his assignments rather than elaborate displays he could have beaten your grades in the subject Albus."

"I had merely presumed he would be in Gryffindor like most Potters." Albus responded.


End file.
